


Life's Flowing Stream

by Settiai



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Critmas Exchange, F/F, Friends to Lovers, Growing Old, One Shot, Past Character Death, Post-Campaign 1 (Critical Role)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-01
Updated: 2021-01-01
Packaged: 2021-03-10 18:34:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,193
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28271709
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Settiai/pseuds/Settiai
Summary: The funeral took place in mid-winter.
Relationships: Keyleth/Vex'ahlia (Critical Role), past Percival "Percy" Fredrickstein Von Musel Klossowski de Rolo III/Vex'ahlia
Comments: 10
Kudos: 53
Collections: Critmas Exchange 2020





	Life's Flowing Stream

**Author's Note:**

  * For [thesunsaid](https://archiveofourown.org/users/thesunsaid/gifts).



Percy's funeral took place in mid-winter.

Vex'ahlia had loved Winter's Crest once upon a time, as a girl and then as a young woman. It had been a time of joy and celebration, and she had so many good memories of it, the days leading up to it, and the weeks afterwards.

Then a conclave of dragons attacked Emon.

Then her twin brother sacrificed himself for the world.

Then she received an invitation to a funeral and word that the world was a little less glorious.

Then one of the people she considered family, a goliath who every single one of her children had grown up calling Uncle Grog, closed his eyes one winter's night and never opened them again.

Then she received a letter from Wildemount saying that her best friend would never be able to make the trip to visit her in Whitestone ever again.

Then she buried her husband of almost eighty years on a cold winter's day.

Vex didn't hate Winter's Crest. She couldn't, no matter what she had lost over the years. But her love for it had turned more bittersweet. Winter's Crest represented endings for her. So many important losses in her life had happened in the weeks before and after the solstice.

Gods, but she hated getting old. Especially when so many people around her were aging so much more quickly than she was.

*

“I thought that I'd find you out here."

The corners of Vex's mouth turned up despite herself at the sound of Keyleth's voice, and she patted the bench beside her. Despite the snow surrounding it, the bench itself was clear and dry – just like it had been since the day Pike placed it in the clearing.

Keyleth sat down and took the flask that Vex offered her, taking a long swig of it. She then immediately went into a coughing fit, looking all the world like the 20-year-old girl Vex had met all those years ago rather than a woman who was a few years past her centennial.

Vex's smile grew a little bit larger despite herself.

“I can't believe he's gone," Keyleth said softly, glancing over at Vex as if she wasn't quite certain how the other woman would take her words.

Vex's smile didn't fade, but it turned a bit more brittle. “I can," she said just as quietly. “It hurts, oh it hurts, but..." She trailed off, blinking a few times before taking a shaky breath. “It was time, even if I wish it wasn't. He was ready."

Keyleth stared at her for a long moment before nodding. Then, without a word, she handed the flask back to Vex.

Vex took a large swig from it.

“What are you going to do now?" Keyleth asked gently.

“Now?" Vex repeated, glancing over at her. She shrugged. “What else would I do? I'm going to keep living."

Keyleth's lips wobbled slightly and, before Vex had a chance to react, there were two arms wrapped around her in a bone crunching hug. It wasn't the first time that she'd been caught up in one of Keyleth's hugs, and it wouldn't be the last time, but it never ceased to catch Vex off guard.

*

“... and then she turned to me, _completely_ naked with this random boy I've never seen before all but cowering behind her, and she said ‘Is this a good time to tell you that you're going to be a grandmother?' as if she was sitting in the middle of a fucking garden party!"

The wine in her glass sloshed wildly as Vex gestured with her hands, while Keyleth threw her head back and laughed.

“It's not funny, Keyleth!" Vex exclaimed. “This is my baby! My youngest! She's a child!"

If anything, Keyleth's laughter grew even louder.

“Keyleth!"

“Sorry, sorry," Keyleth said, trying to get her mirth under control. “It's just... she's twenty-five, Vex. Do you remember what you were doing when you were that age? Or what I was doing at that age?"

Vex glared at her. “Not having babies!" she said before promptly chugging the rest of her wine.

The expression on Keyleth's face grew a bit more bittersweet. “No," she said. “I suppose neither of us was having babies when we were twenty-five."

Vex flinched at that. “Sorry, darling," she said, leaning forward to press a kiss against Keyleth's forehead. “Sometimes I forget just how young you were back then."

Keyleth shrugged and forced a smile that didn't quite meet her eyes. “It's fine," she said. “I don't have any regrets."

The look that Vex shot her was skeptical at best.

*

“Would you care to dance?"

Vex's eyebrows almost disappeared into her hair, but she took Keyleth's hand and let her lead the way out onto the dance floor. “What brought this on?" she asked.

Keyleth shrugged. “I know you love to dance," she said. “No one else seemed to be asking you to join them, so why wouldn't I?"

“It's not really the custom here in Whitestone, not for nobility at least," Vex said, the smile on her face making it clear what she thought about that particular rule. “I'm a widow. It's not appropriate."

Keyleth made a face. “You've been a widow for five years," she said. “Do they expect your life to be over just because Percy's gone?"

Vex gave her a shrug of her own. “Apparently," she said. “I suppose it's a good thing that I've never really cared about following the rules."

Keyleth smiled. Then she laughed as Vex abruptly shifted their positions, taking the role of lead rather than follower.

“That's never been your strong suit, no," Keyleth agreed.

Vex made a face. “Well, you don't have to _agree_ with me," she said. “You could argue. You could try and convince me that it's all in my head."

Keyleth just laughed. “We both know I've never been a good liar. That's what you love about me."

The expression on Vex's face softened. “No," she said. “No, I suppose you're right."

*

Looking back, Vex wasn't entirely certain which of them made the first move. One minute the two of them were walking through the garden, talking about the past and laughing at things that had happened years earlier, and the next her back was against a tree while Keyleth kissed her thoroughly.

It was unexpected and not at the same time, somehow managing simultaneously to be a natural continuation of their relationship and something brand new that came out of nowhere. Vex wasn't sure what it was, not really, but she knew that it was _right_. That was the important thing.

Keyleth pulled away after a long moment, her face flushed and a nervous look on her face. “This is okay, right?" she asked. “I mean, I think it's okay since I'm pretty sure you were kissing back, but I just wanted to check in before—"

She cut off abruptly as Vex leaned forward to kiss her again.

Somewhere above them, a raven called. The scent of snowdrops mixed with the air around them as some of the small, white flowers were crushed under their feet.

Life went on, as it always did.

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on Twitter. (https://twitter.com/settiai)


End file.
